Chapter 306: The Murim Alliance (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 306: The Murim Alliance (1)
The heart of Luoyang.
Here, the leaders representing the Nine Sects and One Gang had gathered.
Ever since the Heavenly Demon Cult declared a full-scale war and announced their advance into the Central Plains, every sect had been placed on high alert.
So Yu-hyeon of the Wudang Sect.
Ha Ryeo-hwa of Mount Hua.
Danmok Il of the Kunlun Sect.
Geol Jung-gil of the Beggar's Sect.
Hye-myeong of Shaolin.
Every single one of them was a master of elder rank within their respective sects.
Gathering figures of this caliber in one place was no easy feat, yet considering the gravity of the situation, it still felt insufficient.
"And the Alliance Leader?"
"He is on his way back after finishing his business. He should arrive in a day... or two at the latest."
"How troublesome. Of all times, he had to be away on business in the Hebei region."
"My apologies. Our chief is quite free-spirited... Haha. He left without a word, so we barely managed to track him down in Hebei."
"Hahaha! Is this not all the will of Buddha? Let us not rush and wait patiently. Amitabha."
Various remarks flowed from everyone's mouths.
Right then.
"Waiting for days will be too late. The jiangshi prepared by the Heavenly Demon Cult are powerful and fast. Qinghai Province has already fallen, and the northwest region is also in jeopardy. Before long, Luoyang will fall into their hands as well."
Someone spoke up.
Not from one of the seats, but from the position of an outsider.
A woman of pure and elegant appearance with short hair.
It was the Soul-Chasing Shadow.
And beside her stood Cheon Yu-seong, his face expressionless, and Teresa, looking slightly tense.
So Yu-hyeon, who had been listening silently to the Soul-Chasing Shadow, let out a long sigh.
"Then, does the Soul-Chasing Shadow wish for us to accept that proposal from before?"
"Yes. I believe it is the only way."
"...You must know what our position is."
"Of course, I know that well. However, I would like to ask you once more to listen to reason rather than emotion."
The Soul-Chasing Shadow had already repeated the same proposal several times, but the Murim Alliance had rejected it flat out.
It was only natural.
For the proposal she brought forward was...
None other than asking the Players for help.
Of course, some Players had indeed reached a level where they could be considered viable combat assets.
Like Cheon Yu-seong and Teresa, who were present here.
However, the problem was that the key figure in question was someone who had a bad history with the Murim in many ways.
"The Five Great Clans will arrive here soon, and many of them have suffered greatly at his hands. Some have even lost their disciples."
Danmok Il of the Kunlun Sect added his piece.
"Elder Dan's words are correct. Lifting the pursuit order was already a massive concession on our part."
They had already lost precious talents of their sects on the lower floors of the tower.
It was not an issue they could simply forget and move past.
"Oh my. So, because of some minor past incident, you're saying it can't be helped even if the entire Murim turns into a sea of fire... is that what you mean?"
"Soul-Chasing Shadow!"
"A sea of fire? You go too far with your words."
"Hahaha! This is not the first time the Heavenly Demon Cult has invaded the Murim. We also possess hundreds of reliable masters under our command."
"Furthermore, according to our intelligence unit, the Grand Martial Corps, the Heavenly Demon—who is the core of their strength—has also disappeared, has he not? While it is true we must not let our guard down, the Murim Alliance alone is more than capable of crushing them."
A Heavenly Demon Cult without the Heavenly Demon could not exert even half of its true power.
That was the unanimous consensus of everyone belonging to the Murim Alliance.
But right at that moment.
Creak...
The door opened.
There were still several hours left before the representatives of the Five Great Clans were scheduled to arrive.
Who on earth could have come at this hour?
Under the gathering gazes of everyone.
"Excuse me. I'm a bit late."
Through the gap, Jinhyuk appeared, smiling sheepishly.
"No way...!"
"H-How dare that bastard show his face here!"
"What were the guards outside doing?!"
"Ho..."
"Hahaha!"
The representatives of the Murim Alliance inside erupted in shouts.
* * *
"You... don't seem very welcome here."
Alice shrugged her shoulders.
"They're just playing hard to get when they're actually thrilled. I'll handle this, so just watch from here."
He hadn't expected things to go smoothly in the first place.
Frankly, he had no reason to play nice with them anyway.
Step.
Jinhyuk nonchalantly walked over and sat at the table.
"Jinhyuk."
"Tch. You took your sweet time."
"Fufu. Good to see you again, Young Master Kang."
The three of them welcomed Jinhyuk in their own ways.
"Who... gave you permission to enter this place as you please?"
So Yu-hyeon's eyebrows furrowed sharply.
Rumble!
The teacups on the table rattled violently.
Cracks began to spiderweb across the porcelain.
The rumors that he had broken through the Peak Realm at a young age to enter the Transcendental Realm were clearly no exaggeration.
Jinhyuk was also startled by So Yu-hyeon's murderous aura.
Startled in a completely different sense, that is.
Is an elder-level master of the Wudang Sect only at this level...?
This is serious.
Even if they were in the same Transcendental Realm, compared to those of the Heavenly Demon Cult, he was a complete greenhorn.
Against Master, he'd be finished within five exchanges...
And that was being generous.
If he were to unleash the Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art to the 7th stage or higher, Jinhyuk could clearly picture the guy's body being reduced to dust.
Even for me, twenty exchanges... would be more than enough.
He couldn't comprehend how a Taoist of Wudang could be this weak. Just how deeply had they been coddled by peace?
But then, a sudden realization flashed through his mind.
No, it's not that he's weak.
To ordinary Players, So Yu-hyeon would still look like an otherworldly monster.
The kind of boss a guild's main raid team would have to band together to defeat.
It was just that...
I've just gotten that strong.
Overwhelming growth and monopolizing hidden opportunities.
He had grown stronger and stronger, to a degree that defied all comparison.
Perhaps because he had been fighting such formidable opponents lately, like Yacha and Abigail?
The opponent's clumsy intimidation felt like nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum.
"...Kuh! You bastard...!"
When his display of internal energy failed to intimidate, So Yu-hyeon's face flushed red with embarrassment.
On the other hand, Geol Jung-gil looked at Jinhyuk with an intrigued expression.
"What an interesting fellow. Well, I doubt you came all this way just to piss us off. Let's hear your reason."
"Reason? What reason! We must take his head immediately!"
Shring!
Unable to contain his rage, So Yu-hyeon drew his sword halfway.
"Calm down, Taoist. He must have expected this kind of reaction, yet he came anyway. Doesn't that mean he has something to say?"
"I'm glad there's at least one person here I can communicate with. That's right. I came here because I have a proposal to make to you all."
Jinhyuk pulled a map from his breast pocket.
It was a map encompassing not only Luoyang but also the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains—the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Cult—and the entirety of the Central Plains.
However, what drew gasps of shock from everyone were the countless arrows and annotations written on the map.
Major strongholds and movement routes.
Information corresponding to the top-secret intelligence of each sect and the imperial court was laid bare without filter.
To be precise, some parts of the information had been blacked out, but even so, no one failed to recognize that this was of an extraordinary nature.
"This is..."
"N-No way... This is impossible!"
"How do you know about this?"
How?
How many times have you guys actually fought in the Great War of Orthodox and Demonic? Three times at most?
This is my 27th time experiencing the Great War of Orthodox and Demonic on this floor alone.
Having gone through countless wars, his mind and body remembered it all naturally, whether he liked it or not.
Exactly how the enemy would move, and exactly how they would attack this place.
But he couldn't just tell them the truth.
"I captured a spy sent by the Heavenly Demon Cult to the Murim Alliance. His name was Ma-something... and he knew quite a lot. Thanks to him kindly sharing this information, we were able to have a very heartwarming conversation."
It was true that the spy was currently alive.
It was also true that he had extracted the information.
Except for the "heartwarming" part, most of what he said was true.
"A spy? Who are you talking about?"
"Does capturing him mean you currently have him in your custody?"
"Answer us this instant!"
"Are we not asking you a question?!"
The pressure from everyone intensified.
Of course, Jinhyuk was not one to be intimidated by such words.
"Look here."
There was a limit to putting the cart before the horse.
Instead of saying "thank you" for even this much information, they had the nerve to demand everything?
They clearly hadn't grasped the situation yet, so he decided to show them exactly who held the upper hand.
"I am the one providing the information, and I am the one who decides how much to share. Do not demand more. Frankly speaking, whether the Murim falls or not is none of my concern."
"In other words... you're telling us to just dance to your tune?"
"Exactly."
Should I stamp a 'Great Job' sticker on his forehead?
At least it was a relief that someone here was quick on the uptake.
"There are currently seven routes through which the main force of the Heavenly Demon Cult's jiangshi are advancing. I can tell you which one is coming the fastest. Of course, you will have to pay a proper price for it."
"Y-You want us to pay a price?"
"Of course. Nothing in this world is free. I hear the Wudang Sect's Jasodan elixir is incredibly effective... is that true? Ah! Mount Hua's Flower-Dance Plum-Blossom Sword is also a legendary blade that can't be left out. On top of that, my pet absolutely loves jewels, so I'd like you to prepare plenty of those as well."
An absurd demand.
The atmosphere in the meeting hall grew even more hostile at the ridiculous demand to hand over their sects' treasures and a massive amount of wealth.
Yet, Geol Jung-gil alone looked back and forth between the information on the map and Jinhyuk.
Over and over again.
"..."
The silence did not last long.
Geol Jung-gil bit his lip as if making a decision.
Although parts of the information were blacked out, the rest would be enough to verify its authenticity.
"Fine. When the Alliance Leader arrives, I will speak to him about this personally."
"Wait!"
"Are you serious?"
"Calm down, everyone. I'm not making the decision, I'm just saying I'll bring it up to the Alliance Leader."
"A wise decision. Well then, I'll be sightseeing around the imperial capital, so call me when a decision is made. Let's go, Alice."
"Okay."
Jinhyuk leisurely walked back the way he came, with Alice in tow.
* * *
A place where a massive waterfall blended seamlessly with nature.
Gazing at the landscape bathed in moonlight, Samaja spoke slowly.
"Shimmasaryong. Do you know of the Blue Dragon?"
The Blue Dragon.
It referred to the Blue Dragon, one of the mythical beasts of the four cardinal directions representing the Four Guardian Deities.
"Of course... I have heard of it."
Shimmasaryong nodded.
He, too, had grown up hearing about the mythical beasts of myth and legend.
Though they were mostly stories meant to spark the imagination of young children.
"However, Supreme One. Shouldn't our priority right now be figuring out how to tear through the heart of their territory?"
He understood that the beautiful scenery might bring back childhood memories.
But now was not the time for such reminiscence.
Yet, despite Shimmasaryong's urgent words, Samaja merely smiled.
"It is you who fails to see the essence of the matter. Though our forces are strong, it will not be easy to break through the defensive lines they have spread out like a hornet's nest. Especially since that fellow, the Murim Alliance Leader, has even broken through the wall."
"You mean... he is in the same realm as you, Supreme One."
"Indeed. Therefore, engaging in a meaningless war of attrition will not affect the grand scheme of things; it will only waste our mental and physical strength."
"Then, what plan do you have in mind, Supreme One?"
"Have I not already told you? I asked if you knew of the Blue Dragon."
It was right as Samaja finished speaking.
Whoosh!
The wind subtly shifted the direction of the torchlight.
With that, the scenery they had been looking at just moments ago slowly began to appear different.
The massive entity they had mistaken for a mountain...
Was not a mountain.
"T-This can't be..."
There was no mistake.
The Divine Stone, spanning dozens of meters, took the majestic and terrifying shape of a dragon.
A posture that looked as if it had been moving just a moment ago.
To call it a mere statue was an understatement; every single texture seemed to breathe with life.
"Could it be... Supreme One, is this..."
Shimmasaryong's voice trembled violently.
"Wouldn't it be entertaining?"
For the Blue Dragon, which commands the rain and clouds with its Dragon Orb, to roam the Murim?
The corners of Samaja's mouth curled upward.
"The existence of the Heavenly Demon matters not."
The Yachas and the jiangshi are merely parts of the plan.
"From now on, the history of the Murim will be rewritten by my hand, Samaja."
The unification of the Murim, which no one had ever achieved.
There was only one person who could bring an end to this seemingly impossible challenge.
"Kekeke... Kuhahaha!"
Standing before the massive Divine Stone, Samaja burst into a fit of mad laughter.